On Dec. 26, when Californians were more focused on holiday celebrations than legal matters, the state’s Attorney General published a report with enormous implications for charter schools and their authorizers. The 23-page opinion assessed issues of transparency, accountability and conflict of interest and concluded that […]
January honors important work of school board members
“A free public education is the foundation of our great democracy,” CSBA President Emma Turner said at the 2018 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show in San Francisco in November. And crucial to the success of that public education are school board trustees who provide […]
Students who engage in civic life are healthier, aim higher — but gaps exist
Higher rates of teenage civic engagement are tied to being healthier, missing fewer days of school, receiving better grades and having higher aspirations of attending college, according to a new study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Researchers also found vast differences in […]
Issues with impact: Highlights from CSBA publications in 2018
In 2018, CSBA’s staff, members and partners explored some of the most pressing subjects facing California’s schools and our 6.2 million students. We had a lot to choose from – the issues schools grapple with have never been more numerous, more varied or more complex. […]
Federal commission releases school safety report; sparks debate about student discipline
Recommendation to roll back Obama-era guidance largely moot in light of California state law A wide-ranging report has intensified the debate over appropriate methods of discipline in a time of increasing concern about student safety. On Tuesday, Dec. 18, the Federal Commission on School Safety […]
Protecting existing school funding while fighting for Full and Fair Funding
By Mike Ambrose Full and Fair Funding is crucial for student success, and research continues to demonstrate that increasing funding to education makes an important and lasting impact on students, particularly for students in high-need and low-income schools. Nonetheless, despite boasting the fifth-largest economy in […]
Commentary: Education, protests & freedom of speech are the ties that bind our republic
By Vernon Billy Students are the future torchbearers of liberty I hope I got your attention… By the time you read this, the November 2018 election will be history and the outcomes of Election Day will have been debated and analyzed by every political pundit […]
Bolstering your district’s LCAP stakeholder engagement might not involve the term ‘LCAP’
When it comes to promoting meaningful community and student engagement and input, schools and districts might want to consider a jolting principle: Why even use the acronym “LCAP” when initially communicating with the audience? Do they know what it is and will using the term […]
Commentary: A commitment to equitable outcomes for all students
By Dr. Shawnterra Moore As a young African-American girl being raised by a single parent, I had no true understanding of the statistics that forecasted my future. My mother was single, not by choice; my father was gunned down a few months before I was […]
CCEE outlines structure, timeline for Community Engagement Initiative networks
After announcing lead partners and launching the program in November, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence outlined the next steps for its Community Engagement Initiative at its Dec. 6 board meeting. The effort will include a series of multi-year professional learning networks that build district […]